the Pope is going to end up on life support so he can stay alive as long as his caretakers can keep him alive.
The most important difference, as I see it: We'll never be able to be 100% sure what Terri Schiavo's wishes were -- it'll always be he said/they said. But the Pope, especially with his recent writing and commentary on suffering, has made his position abundantly clear. He'll be here as long as they can keep him here, because that's what he believes is right.
Whether he will remain Pope throughout that process, as you point out, is another issue. But there are precedents and administrative mechanisms in place for him to designate a substitute if/when he feels he is no longer able to serve as required. He's a very smart guy, and I'd bet money that he's already made the appropriate arrangements, and given instructions stipulating under what circumstances they should be carried out.
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Date: 2005-04-01 07:14 pm (UTC)The most important difference, as I see it: We'll never be able to be 100% sure what Terri Schiavo's wishes were -- it'll always be he said/they said. But the Pope, especially with his recent writing and commentary on suffering, has made his position abundantly clear. He'll be here as long as they can keep him here, because that's what he believes is right.
Whether he will remain Pope throughout that process, as you point out, is another issue. But there are precedents and administrative mechanisms in place for him to designate a substitute if/when he feels he is no longer able to serve as required. He's a very smart guy, and I'd bet money that he's already made the appropriate arrangements, and given instructions stipulating under what circumstances they should be carried out.